Archive: Inside the Army

Twenty-eight Army captains receive the General Douglas MacArthur Award from Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey at a Pentagon Ceremony. Among the recipients is Mary Kennedy, who accepts the award for her son Capt. Edward Kennedy who is deployed. George McNamara reports.

Soldiers from Fort BraggAca,!a,,cs 20th Engineer Brigade (CBT) (ABN) took time May 10 to showcase their capabilities to senior Multi-National Corps Aca,!" Iraq leadership at their headquarters in Balad.

FORT HOOD, Texas Aca,!" More than five years have passed since a coalition of military forces of roughly 300,000 marched onto Iraqi soil in the invasion that ended Saddam HusseinAca,!a,,cs 24-year rule. As operations in Iraq persist, Soldiers continue to pay the ultimate sacrifice for their country

FORT HOOD, Texas Aca,!" In what Lt. Col. Thomas Shoffner hopes will become a Aca,!A"habitual relationshipAca,!A? with troops from the 4th Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, Soldiers with the 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment got a rare opportunity to work with their airborne brethren.

Two Tooele Army Depot civilian employees received honors from Col. Anne L. Davis, depot commander, during a special Lean Six Sigma black belt certification ceremony held in the TEAD Command Program Office May 1.

The National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., has made significant progress in improving force protection training for Army brigade combat teams as they prepare for eventual deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany Aca,!" Spc. Alexandra Shea-Meyers wanted to get a little something for everyone in her unit and in doing so she now holds the record for gathering groceries: $3,502.21 worth in 90 seconds.
Her record-holding standing comes from the supermarket sweep event at the Better Opportunities for Single Servicemembers and Commissary Appreciation Day held May 9 at the Vogelweh Commissary.

After 52 hours of engineer challenges requiring muscle-wrenching, rain-soaked exertion, little or no sleep and miles of running, Capt. Jason Winkelmann and 2nd Lt. Joel Groves, both from the 8th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas, placed first May 8 in the 2008 Best Sapper Competition.

Senior noncommissioned officers attending the Sergeants Major Course at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy unveiled a plaque they dedicated to the Air Defense Artillery Center Noncommissioned Officer Academy May 8 to honor Command Sgt. Maj. James D. Blankenbecler, a native of Alexandria, Va., Sergeants Major Course Class 53 graduate, and former commandant at the NCO academy. Blankenbecler, command sergeant major of 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment at Fort Hood, Texas, died Oct 1, 2003, after being hit by an improvised explosive device and rocket propelled grenades in Samarra, Iraq.

ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala.--Officials here hosted a day-long visit May 8 from the Army Materiel Command Deputy Commanding General Lt. Gen. William Mortensen, who saw an updated glimpse of a healthy depot workload.

YONGSAN GARRISON, Republic of Korea Aca,!" May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, a time to honor citizens of our country whose families went to America from halfway around the world and became integral members of American society.

Diversity was celebrated in a big way, May 10, as thousands of Soldiers and hundreds of civilians took part in the first-ever Community Diversity Walk, sponsored by the Fort Leonard Wood Equal Opportunity Program.

Twenty-eight commissioned and warrant officers from the active Army, Army Reserve and the National Guard received the 2008 General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award during a ceremony at the Pentagon today, May 14.

YONGSAN GARRISON, Republic of Korea Aca,!" The garrison hosted 26 Korean elementary school students as part of Korean ChildrenAca,!a,,cs Day activities, treating them to an installation tour and meeting American Soldiers.

Sergeants Major Course Class 58 students celebrated Asian/Pacific Heritage Month May 9, 2008, with a Polynesian dance troupe, music and a rousing speech by USAREUR and Seventh Army command sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. Iuniasolua T. Savusa, at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Course.

Unified Quest 2008 is the Army Chief of Staff's capstone exercise to explore the Era of Persistent Conflict. Maj. Gen. Barbara Fast, deputy director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center, and Lt. Col. Tony Garner, deputy director of the Future Warfare Division of ARCIC, talk with the TRADOC News Service about Unified Quest 2008 that is focused on building partnership capacity.

Secretary of the Army Pete Geren is joined by members of the Fort Drum and northern New York communities in signing the Army Community Covenant in Watertown, N.Y., May 9, 2008. The Army Community Covenant signifies the commitment of the local community to continue its tradition of strong support to Fort Drum Soldiers and their Families.

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. Aca,!" Col. Brian R. Layer, deputy commander of the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in a joint ceremony at Fort Eustis, Va., this morning.

The Army passed a milestone in its continuing efforts to provide a capability to counter the indirect fire threat with the 100th successful intercept of a rocket or mortar round fired at high value Multi-National Corps-Iraq assets in late March.

Men and women gathered to celebrate Spouse Appreciation Day May 9 at the Army Community Service center at Fort Bliss, Texas. Glenda Bromberg, wife to the Fort Bliss commander, said, Aca,!A"not only is it a great day to be a Soldier, well, it's great, everyday, to be a SoldierAca,!a,,cs wife.Aca,!A? Post command sergeant majorAca,!a,,cs wife Audrey Rodgers, assisted by Bromberg and ACS director Peggy Brown, cuts slices of cake to serve to celebrating spouses. Visit www.army.mil/spouse for more information on Military Spouse Day.

Rick Alpaugh, U.S. Army Security Assistance Command deputy to the commanding general, spoke at the Tennessee Valley Chapter Women in Defense organization's Industry Luncheon at the Marriott hotel, Huntsville, Ala., April 30.
Alpaugh also received and award from the Women in Defense Association and met the Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer.

Four of Fort JacksonAca,!a,,cs top drill sergeants went head-to-head last week in a competition that culminated with a grueling urban orienteering course.
The three-day Drill Sergeant of the Year Competition, held April 28-30, pitted representatives from each training brigade and the Drill Sergeant School.

The U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School has had numerous homes before coming to Fort Jackson in 1996. And apparently it isnAca,!a,,ct going anywhere anytime soon as the DoD prepares to relocate Navy and Air Force chaplain schools right next to it.
Religious and military leaders from all branches converged on Fort Jackson Tuesday to take part in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center.

YONGSAN GARRISON, Republic of Korea Aca,!" Wattanaporn Aca,!A"AnaAca,!A? Videtto is the U.S. Army Garrison-Yongsan Equal Employment Opportunity program manager. She arrived in September to build a garrison program designed to provide an environment free of unlawful employment discrimination for all U.S. civilian employees.

SCHWEINFURT, Germany Aca,!" Nineteen high school students from Wuerzburg and Ansbach American High Schools joined local area students for a trip to Sambachshof near Bad Koenigshofen to take part in the 24th annual seminar sponsored by the Bavarian State Center for Political Education to promote North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) awareness.

ENKENBACH-ALSENBORN, Germany Aca,!" Dirk Grosskopf threw a softball for the first time May 6 at the Special Olympics Spring Games held at the German Police Academy here.
Aca,!A"First time ever, and he (Dirk) picked it up really fast,Aca,!A? said Charles Heath, an Army and Air Force Exchange Service employee in Landstuhl, who was volunteering as GrosskopfAca,!a,,cs buddy Aca,!" an athleteAca,!a,,cs personal coach, cheerleader and friend for the day.
Pitching under his leg, the 13-year-old athlete from the Christoph-Graupner-Schule in Darmstadt said to his buddy, who translated, Aca,!A"I like this game very much.Aca,!A?
Special Olympics is an international program of athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. ItAca,!a,,cs been held in the Kaiserslautern military community in early May for 25 years courtesy of the U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern. For the past nine years, the event has been held and co-hosted by the German Police Academy.

YONGSAN GARRISON, Republic of Korea Aca,!" Garrison leaders and Korean immigration officials reaffirmed their commitment May 6 to continue providing Status of Forces Agreement and A-3 Visa stamp services to the Yongsan community through a satellite office on Yongsan Garrison.

A recent 100-percent barracks inspection by post leaders revealed a need for minor repairs, but a lack of any major issues that would compromise the safety or health of Soldiers, the garrison commander announced at a press conference May 2.

U.S. Army North kicked off National Level Exercise 02-08 in the Seattle, Wash., area on May 1st to test their response to a simulated chemical attack in the area. The exercise is testing ARNORTH's communications capabilities with local, state and other federal agencies, as well as their ability to bring together responders to a mass casualty situation.

Calling his final formation with U.S. Army Europe Soldiers one of the proudest moments of his 36-year military career, Gen. David D. McKiernan, USAREUR and 7th Army commanding general, said farewell to the command in a ceremony on Campbell Barracks May 2.

YONGSAN GARRISON, Republic of Korea Aca,!" MEDCOM defeated Seoul American High School 2-1 (25-27, 25-20, 15-12) to claim the womenAca,!a,,cs championship title in the U.S. Army Garrison-Yongsan Intramural Volleyball Tournament at Collier Field House April 29.

This was a time to relax, to savor the completion of 20 weeks of training in management communications.
Thirty-two members of the Garrison received graduation certificates April 22 for finishing 20 weeks of instruction in the Model-Netics management program. They were evenly split among the 10th and 11th classes since 2006.

Puget Sound community leaders joined Fort Lewis officials May 2 to sign the Army Community Covenant, a formal recognition of the relationship between Soldiers, their families and the communities surrounding post.
Representatives from local cities, schools, commerce and civic organizations joined Lt. Gen. Charles H. Jacoby Jr., commanding general of I Corps and Fort Lewis, Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Grippe, command sergeant major of I Corps and Fort Lewis, and Jack Creighton, Washington State Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army at Clover Park Technical College to sign the covenant and pledge support for Fort LewisAca,!a,,c Soldiers and families.

Military chaplains and ethics teachers came together for the Training and Doctrine Command Chaplain Service School Instructor Development Training from April 28 to May 2 at Fort Monroe, Va., to discuss how morals and ethics of each Soldier reflect upon the whole Army.

If all goes according to plan, Thursday, May 8, I will have stood with the U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff, Gen. Richard A. Cody, in the Pentagon to receive a trophy and commemorative flag to signify that U.S. Army Garrison-Yongsan is a 2008 Army Communities of Excellence winner.

The Army Reserve celebrated its 100th birthday at Camp Victory with a cake-cutting ceremony and a 5k race.
The ceremony, held Wednesday at the Oasis Dining Facility, highlighted the contributions of the Army Reserve.

SECKENHEIM, GermanyAca,!"The 405th Army Field Support Brigade welcomed Command Sgt. Maj. Ismael Rodriguez to its staff April 28. Rodriguez is a native of the Bronx, N.Y., was raised in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and entered the U.S. Army in February 1984.

The youngest family member of the Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space just did not want her picture taken. Three-year-old Ainsley McLeod kept her head buried on the shoulder of her father, executive officer Maj. Scott McLeod.

The Army and the Program Executive Office for Aviation have joined the ranks of those using Lean Six Sigma as their business transformation enabler. Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Office completed a new employee in-processing improvement initiative. The UAS team was experiencing significant delays, lack of clear procedures and unnecessary stress.

Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced a positive step in the continuing effort to reduce the stigma often associated with seeking professional mental health assistance. The Army requested and the Secretary of Defense won approval for revision of Question 21 on the National Security Positions Questionnaire (Standard Form 86).

ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala.Aca,!"A maintenance company from the North Dakota Army National Guard became more familiar with depot production processes after it completed its annual training here yesterday.

YONGSAN GARRISON, Republic of Korea Aca,!" Helping people make healthy life choices is not just a job for Sun Gaskey; it's her passion. And she's taking her message to the community by stepping up awareness of health promotion topics to help people make healthy life choices.

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. - Lt. Gen. Henry Aca,!A"TreyAca,!A? Obering Jr., director of the Missile Defense Agency, welcomed VIPs to the Von Braun III groundbreaking ceremony on the sunny and blustery morning of April 25. The ceremony was a major milestone and the beginning of a critical step of expanding effectiveness of MDAAca,!a,,cs mission, Obering said.

YONGSAN GARRISON Aca,!" Brian McNett is the Korea Army BoysAca,!a,,c and GirlsAca,!a,,c Clubs of America Youth of the Year for 2008. He now goes on to compete for the Asia-Pacific Army Youth of the Year.

LIVORNO, Italy Aca,!" The officer responsible for providing effective garrison support of Army mission activities worldwide Aca,!" as well as overall support services Aca,!" visited here April 29, seeing how Camp Darby is keeping its pledge to support Army Families.

STUTTGART, Germany Aca,!" Twelve Soldiers from nine countries took the oath of allegiance and became citizens of the United States during a naturalization ceremony at the StuttgartAca,!a,,cs Patch Community Club earlier this month.

Drivers on the highway near Tegucigalpa were treated to an unusual sight April 24 as 138 paratroopers from 17 countries descended from clear blue skies to the ground at Tamara Drop Zone, the home of the Honduran airborne school.

Dogs and cats have a new place to call their own on Fort Lewis: The Pet Brigade Dog and Cat Barracks.
The new facility opened its doors last week to the post community and took in its first four-legged clients. The barracks, Building 04907 on Pendleton Drive, North Fort; offers services like doggie day care, boarding, grooming and, in the future, training.

While most people go out of their way to avoid situations that produce the primal fears that humans share, cavalry Soldiers faced their fears of heights, water, darkness and face-to-face combat last week Aca,!" all in a single day.
Trainers named the 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry RegimentAca,!a,,cs challenging event Aca,!A"Cav Stakes,Aca,!A? four days of intensive training evaluations of individual and team tasks, culminating April 17 in a day of confidence building at Lake Sequalitchew on North Fort Lewis.

The U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center was presented the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award April 23. The award is the nationAca,!a,,cs highest honor for organizational innovation and performance excellence.